Icy weather conditions could mean the potential for widespread power outages in the Eastern Carolinas Tuesday into Wednesday.

Employees at Santee Cooper's Distribution Offices near Conway spent the day on standby, ready to respond to calls.

The co-op's call center will be open 24/7 until the wintry weather passes and all power is restored. Work crews will also rotate in 8 to 12 hour shifts to ensure there are plenty of people available to respond to power outages.

“The ice and the freezing rain causes more problems with our power lines, so we kept that in mind and we staffed accordingly,” Santee Cooper public relations specialist Susan Mungo said. “So we feel like we are ready in the event of power outages and we are staffed and ready to go and get power restored as quickly as possible.”

Mungo says Santee Cooper customers can help by reducing their electricity use, especially during peak use hours, which are between 6 and 9 a.m. and 5 and 8 p.m.

The company advises customers to delay doing laundry and running the dishwasher, and consider using smaller cooking appliances, as opposed to ovens. Mungo says this helps the company to conserve electricity, especially during times when it is heavily in demand.

If you experience a power outage, you can report it to Santee Cooper by calling 1-888-769-7688, or report it online at SanteeCooper.com. There you will also find a link to live chat with customer service representatives who may be able to assist you.